Apparatus for treating, refining, and purifying metals.



No. 828,142. PATENTED AUG. 7, 1906.

I W. SLSIMPSON. APPARATUS FOR TREATING, REPINING, AND PURIFYING METALS APPLICATION FILED 1320.15. 1905.

TE s'ra'rns ATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM SPEIRS SIMPSON, OF LON DQN, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE SIMPSON-COOK'COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND,

APPARATUS FOR TREATING, REFiNING, AND PURIFYING METALS.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented A ug. '7', 1906.

I Application filed December 15,1905 Serial No. 291,903-

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIAM'SPEIRS SIMP- SON, a subject of the King of Great Britain,

residing at 49 Battersea Park road, London, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Apparatus for Treating, Refining, and Purifying Metals, of which turefor certain uses and purposes in accordance with the process set forthin my United States patent application filed on September 25, 1905, under Serial No. 280,070.

My invention will be clearly understood from the following description, aidedby the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a crucible or vessel for melting ortreating met'al.

I will describe my present invention as carrying out the process set forth in the beforerecited patent application. 1

The metal to be treated or refined is laced in a crucible or vacuum vessel 1. gastight lid 2 is luted or otherwise fastened on, in the center of which a pipe 3 is fixed of a suitable length in regard to space and premises, such pipe 3 being connected to a flexible pipe 4, communicating with an auxiliary vacuum-chamber 5, which forms a residuechamber, and to other chambers 6, which communicate in turn with an air-pump 7, Working in water. Just before the charge is placed in the crucible or vessel 1 the valve 8- between the vacuum-chambers 5 and 6 and the flexible pipe 4 is closed and the pump7 is started, so that by the time the charge is laced in the crucible or vessel 1, the lid 2 uted or otherwise fastened on, the crucible 1 lowered into the furnace 9, and the flexible pipe 4 attached to the stiff pipp 3, fixed in the crucible lid 2, and a flexible ast pipe 10 attached to the furnace 9, conveying air from a kept going all the time while the metal is melting or being treated, so that it is melted or treated in cacao. There is preferably a rim 12 or other attachment to the top of the crucible or vessel 1, which revents it sinking below the cover 13 of the mace 9, which is preferably made of two slabs of fire-clay, so that one can be withdrawn for the introduction of coke, if wanted, which in that way can be packed round the crucible 1 to quicken the melting or treating, or a door may be provided to the furnace, and to this rim 12' the lid 2 is bolted, so as to prevent the luting being disturbed. The furnace consists of a cast-iron or, if preferred, wroughtiron exterior hung on two trunnions 14, resting in bearings of standards 15 and thickly lined with fire-clay. To the furnace is attached a short chimney 16, which delivers the products of combustion into'a hood 17, from which another chimney 18 carries them off into the open air. Producer or other gas may be employed for heating the crucible or vessel instead of coke. The furnace-is hung upon trunnions for the purpose of bein rocked, this rocking being effected by han through the medium of the handle 19 or mechanically. It must be remembered that during the whole of this stage the vacuum is maintained. Themetal is melted and treated in vacuo. The furnace 9 is rocked while the melted metal is in vacuo, and the vacuum is maintained or not while the metal is cooling and solidifying either in the crucible or vessel or in vacuum-molds or in molds ex 'vac'uo into which the molten metal has been poured. In some cases it may be found desirable to introduce the charge in a molten state into the crucible. or vessel and then to super-heat and finish the treatment in vac (1,0, as described. The effect of the rockingis that the molten metal in the crucible or chamber is agitated and that as long as the rocking is continued the liquid metal is never at rest and new surfaces are continuously being exposed to the action of the vacuum.

. The object of the whole of this stage, considered as a separate process, is to liberate any gasessuch as nitrogen, carbon monoxid, or hydrogenwhich may have been contained in the metal and to disentangle any volatile substances, such as sulfur, and enable them to escape, and also either by agitation or conbers 5 and 6 and in the up status.

' The pump 7 and the b ower 11 are operated from any prime mover.

The crucible or vessel is provided with holed mid-rib 26 or diaphragm, this during" the rocking causing the metal to througli the holes from one compartment to the other, and thus insure am pid and more perfect mire ing and agitation of the mass but more than. one perforated diaphragm may be employed, and at the unper end of the crucible or vessel av recess is provided, into which a fire elay plug 21 fits, this plug being luted orotherwise fastened on" before the cover is put in place, this being necessary to prevent the metal contained in the crucible from coming in con tact With the lid.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I I 1. Apparatus for heating refi ning and enrifying metals by subjecting toe molten metal to an agitation by rocking the vessel containing same, and creating a vacuum in the nietal-cmtainer during the heating and coo1- ing of the metal, consisting of a pivotal An apparatus for heeting rei ming and purifyingn1et:1ls in 'FGHLO, comprising a receptacle provided with it perforated Wall forming thereby compartment on each side of the wall, and means for rocking the recep tools for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I] 1:; hand in presence of ti'vo subscribing witnesses,

'WILLlAM SIEIRS SIMPf 'ON. Witnesses RICHARD Coma GARDNER;

LYNWoon Fnsnnomn Gennnss. 

